Cigarettes - The Killing Cachines of 2013

The statutory warning on your dose of daily tobacco doesn't bother you? Maybe this article will. Sad but true, smoking kills. Regardless of the last puff that can bring forth a different level of satisfaction altogether, smoking kills.

Does Cancer Scare You?

If it does, quit smoking because history has repeatedly narrated the same story through statistics:

Of all cases of cancer, lung cancer is the most prominent and smoking causes it.Men have 23 times higher chances of developing lung cancer while women are 13 times more probable of the same if they smoke.90 % of lung cancer deaths in men are owing to smoking. This number remains 80% for women.It doesn't just end with lung cancer - it can be associated with other types of cancer like cancer of the pharynx, oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, etc. This is supported by the findings in the 2004 Surgeon General's report.12,100 deaths that are estimated to occur annually in the US due to esophageal cancer are a result of smoking.

Another type of cancer that is claiming a thousand lives annually in the US is laryngeal cancer which is an outcome when cigarette smoking is accompanied with alcohol.Back in 2003, 57,400 cases of bladder cancer were reported by patients who were smokers.The possibility of a mouth cancer is enhanced by smoking.30200 cases and an approximate 7800 deaths resulting from pharynx and oral cavity cancers are reported by patients who smoke cigarettes, pipes and tobacco containing products.According to the 2004 Surgeon General's report, cases of new cancer have been discovered including that of the stomach, kidney, pancreas, acute myeloid leukemia and cervix.People who have quit smoking are less prone to stomach cancer than people who haven't.The likelihood of cervical cancer in women increases proportionately with the duration of smoking.An estimated 22400 cases of stomach cancer, 31900 case of kidney cancer, 30700 cases of pancreatic cancer, 10500 cases of acute myeloid leukemia were reported in 2003 owing to the ill effects of smokingIn the US, about 90% of benzene exposure is a result of smoking cigarettes and benzene is one the root causes of acute myeloid leukemia.

More than 1 billion who smoke! This number will cross the mark of 1.5 million by 2025A profitable tobacco market where 10 million cigarettes are sold a minute. This market observes a total of 5 trillion cigarettes sold every year.A world of smoke where you smoke approx 8 or 9 milligrams of nicotine per cigarette or 100-400 milligrams of nicotine per cigarA risky generation in which a dose of nicotine present 3-4 cigarettes if consumed at once can kill a person.

Smoking has some 'uncool' additives besides the addictive nicotine you wouldn't be proud of:

Whale vomit is used to manufacture cigarettes.Benzene which can cause an array of diseases finds its primary source in the environment in smokers.A cigarette is not free from radioactive chemicals like lead and polonium though they are present in low levels.Talk about the world war II and chemical warfare, maybe a cigarette might contribute to any global disrupt in the future - hydrogen cyanide present in cigarette can be used as a genocidal agent.Passive smoke contains around 50 carcinogenic chemicals and some of them fall in the Group 1 category of carcinogens.

So What Makes the Cigarette so Harmful?

Acrolein - Creates problems in DNA repair and have the potentiality of disturbing the lining in the lungs that actually acts as a resistant to lung disease.1,3-Butadine - It is otherwise used to make rubber - Cancer in the stomach and blood can be a result of this chemical.Arsenic - If consumed it is very poisonous and taken in small quantities can cause heart disease.Benzene - It is a proponent of Leukemia and most acute leukemia cases are owing to benzene.Cadmium intervenes the smooth repair of already damaged DNA and causes problems in the kidney and artery lining.Chromium VI which is an ingredient of paints, alloys, dyes is associated with lung cancer.Formaldehyde which otherwise can destroy bacteria has a major influence in causing chronic lung disease. Primary source of formaldehyde is secondhand smoke.Polonium is radioactive and radioactive materials are very dangerous in terms of them being carcinogenic.Tar -How can we forget tar? This is the solid residue that remains on the lungs, nails and teeth. It increases the risk for cancer and influences lung diseases including lung cancer most prominently.Nicotine and carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide is an air pollutant. It can mix with hemoglobin in the blood and inhibit the oxygen carrying capacity of the red blood cells. It is known to increase cholesterol in the arteries and in the process can harden them. Finally this can result in various heart and artery diseases and also can cause a cardiac arrest.Nicotine is addictive. This is why you smoke and this is what makes you long for that last puff. Like slow poison it spreads through the bloodstream. Nicotine will do all the menacing the bloodstream which wants to live long doesn't deserve - it will narrow your arteries, quicken the flow of blood to the heart and increase blood pressure. Cardiac arrest is also likely with high doses of nicotine. Quitting smoking is actually quitting nicotine and though its hard its important if you want to live long and live healthy.

For a better tomorrow, let's stop preaching "Can I borrow a fag?" and help ourselves.

Lindsay is an anti-smoking advocate and expert. She has helped hundreds of people quit smoking and improve their lifestyle. "One of the best methods I use to help people quit smoking is by using the latest and most advanced smoking alternative devices. It works 90 percent of the time".